ENGL 110C: English Composition I Syllabus

Instructor: Kimberly Goode

Meeting: TR 9:30-10:45
Office: BAL 5008
Office Hours: M-F 3:00-4:00
Email: Kgood035@odu.edu
Prerequisite: Passing grade on the Writing Sample Placement Test

Course Description, Goals, and Objectives: English Composition I is intended to introduce

students to the nuts and bolts of college writing. This course will prepare students to handle the
various types of compositions they are sure to write throughout their college experience. The
goals for this course include improving students writing ability, get students to look at writing as
a process and not a product, and to help students develop a greater understanding of their
language and its rhetorical use. Specifically, this course will:
1. Unteach the 5 paragraph essay and other writing formulas through at home and in-class
writing practices
2. Discuss and demonstrate writing as a continuous process through course readings,
lectures, discussions, and workshops
3. Delineate writing processes and strategies students can use to guide their own writing
process through writing practices workshops and discussions
4. Engage students in the evaluation process and emphasize the importance of audience via
teacher-student conferences, in-class writing practices, and peer-review sessions

Text and Materials:

Writing Today (ODU Custom). 2nd Edition. Johnson-Sheehan.
MLA Handbook for Writers, 7th Edition. Modern Language Association.
Additional materials on Blackboard.

Course Policies and Procedures:

Attendance: Please show up. Please be prepared when you show up. In-class assignments
cannot be made up. Three unexcused absences warrant dropping the
course. For more information, please read ODUs absence policy.
Plagiarism: Please dont copy other peoples work. This is a direct violation of ODUs
Honor Code (see IX. Prohibited Conduct).
Class Conduct: Please be on your best behavior during class time. Do not engage in any
disruptive behavior (e.g. not talking while your classmates are
talking,
throwing things, using cell phones in class without permission,
hazing,
mocking, jeering, etc.)
Special & Technical Needs: Please notify me immediately regarding accommodations.
Also, please check with Disability Services (757 6834655)
for additional assistance. For technical assistance,
contact
Help Desk (757-683-3192/ itshelp@odu.edu).
If you need
any additional assistance with writing
assignments, please
visit the Writing Center (757 683
4013).
Revision: All assignments can be revised and resubmitted for a higher grade. Please
attach a 200-300 word essay that explains the revisions you made. Any
revisions
are due on the last day of class.
Late Work: I only accept late work when there is a documented excuse (see ODUs
absence policy for proper documentation procedures).

Assignments, Grading Scale, and Institutional Requirements:

There will be a detailed assignment sheet on Blackboard for every major
assignment. We will create a grading rubric in class for the major assignments.
However, I will post grading rubrics for major and minor assignments on
Blackboard as well.
Major Assignments:

Evaluation/Analysis Paper
Positioning Paper
Research Paper

Minor Assignments:

Writing Journal
Annotated Bibliography

Writing Practices
ePortfolio Project

In-class Assignments:

Writing Practices
Presentations

Grading Scale:
Assignments Grading Breakdown
Major Assignments
Evaluation/Analysis Paper
Positioning Paper
Research Paper
Minor Assignments
Writing Journal
Annotated Bibliography
Writing Practices (10)
ePortfolio Project
In-class Assignments
Presentations
Classroom Participation
Extra Credit
Total

Points
20
20
20
Points
10
10
10
15
Points
5
10
15
120 (+15)

100-95=A, 94-90=A-, 89-87=B+, 86-84=B, 83-80=B-, 79-77=C+, 76-74=C, 73-70=C-,

69-67=D+, 66-64=D, 63-60=D-, 59.9-0=F
Extra Credit: Students can receive extra credit via student-instructor conferences and
extra writing practices. There will be two mandatory opportunities to meet with me
during the semester. Each conference is worth five extra credit points. In addition,
students are required to write ten writing practices. There will be fifteen writing
practices in total. However, the completion of extra writing practices will count as extra
credit. Each writing practice is worth one point.
Minor Assignments Description:
Writing Journal: You are required to record your writing process. To do so, please keep
track of your thought process before, during, and after writing your assignments.
For instance, do you engage in preliminary writing such as a rough draft(s), outline, free
writing, etc. before writing your final draft? Do you write your final draft while
constantly revising/editing it (changing sentence structure, adding new paragraphs,
deleting paragraphs, correcting grammar errors, etc.)?
Writing Practices: You are required to complete ten writing practices on blackboard
before each class. However, there will be fifteen writing practices in total. If you miss

completing one during the designated week, you can make it up. Also, if you complete
more than ten writing practices, you can receive extra credit. Your writing practices will
involve a prompt. You are to answer the prompt in a minimum of two paragraphs.
Although, you can exceed the length requirement. We will workshop the writing
practices in class. Please bring your writing practices to class on the due dates.
Annotated Bibliography: You are to produce one annotated bibliography. You will find
five articles you would like to use in your research paper. In 200-400 words, identify the
thesis (main argument), summarize its main points, and explain why the article is relevant
to your research topic. You will post this assignment to the Wikis section on Blackboard.
Please hyperlink your article title. We will go over this assignment in class. I will show
you how to create a hyperlink.
ePortfolio: You will create an electronic portfolio on either weebly.com or wix.com. If
you want to use another website, please contact me and we can discuss your option. You
are to include all your writing assignments, including revised assignments and their
revision statements, in this portfolio.
In-class Assignments Description
Writing Practices: You will complete a writing activity from your Writing Today book.
After completion, you will pair up into a group of three or four and discuss your work.
The activities correspond to the chapter(s) and material we are going over in class. These
writing practices count as your participation grade for the class. You cannot makeup an
in-class writing practice.
Presentations: You will have the opportunity to give a five-minute presentation on one
of your papers to the class. The objective is to give you practice at presenting your
research. We will come up with a grading rubric in class.
Institutional Requirements: The University requires scheduled conferences between
students and instructors to address students writing assignments and to provide students
with an opportunity to ask and receive assistance regarding their assignments.

Evaluation/Analysis Paper

Assignment:
Picture yourself as a certified professional evaluator. The company that hired you wants
you to evaluate their product or service. You are to find a product or service to
evaluate. Next, create a list of criteria in which you will evaluate the product or service
(e.g. appearance, performance, safety, expense, etc.). You must research the product or
service and find out their industry-mandated performance standards. Then, you are to list
the pros and cons (e.g. the benefits, drawbacks, limitations, consequences, etc.) of the
product or service based on your criteria and research.
Criteria:
Your evaluations must be objective. Meaning, you are to base your evaluations on
research from product or service manuals via the companys website, federal or state
statutes, professional associations regulations (e.g. , The National Society of
Accountants), or review boards (e.g., the Institutional Review Board).
Keep in mind the type of evaluation guidelines might vary depending on the industry or
product or service you are evaluating.
Include a brief analysis based on your research. Meaning, what conclusions and insights
could you draw and/or recommend to the company based on your evaluation.
Your paper should be in MLA Format, Times New Roman Font, and approximately 3-5
pages. You can exceed the page limit, but your paper should be a minimum of three
pages. You must have a minimum of five sources.
Guidance:
Please contact me if you have any problems, questions, or concerns.
See the course syllabus for office hours and contact information.

Positioning Paper

Assignment:
Imagine you are a judge. You have to rule in favor of either the defense or the
prosecution. However, you can see the pros and cons of both parties arguments. Nevertheless,
you have to take a position. You have to argue which side you should rule in favor. In order to do
so, you have to pick a debatable topic. Meaning, your topic should be arguable and enable you
to take a position (e.g., either pro or con). For instance, should marijuana be legal, should
abortion be banned, should schools serve fast foods, etc.
Criteria:
You must evaluate both sides of the argument. Meaning, you are to research the
benefits or drawbacks of your topic. You must include both sides in your paper. Then,
you are to pick a side and argue why your position is the better of the two.
Make sure your argument is be based on factual research. Wikipedia is a great
preliminary source, but you should not include it in your works cited.
You must include a rebuttal to the opposing side. Critically analyze the arguments by
challenging any assumptions behind the claim, evaluating the accuracy of facts presented,
the authority of their sources, and identifying any logical fallacies.
Your paper should be in MLA Format, Times New Roman Font, and approximately 3-5
pages. You can exceed the page limit, but your paper should be a minimum of three
pages. You must have a 3-5 sources for each side (e.g., 3-5 for pro and 3-5 for con).
You should have 6-10 sources in total.
Guidance:
Please contact me if you have any problems, questions, or concerns.
See the course syllabus for office hours and contact information.

Research Paper

Assignment:
You and your partner received funding to write a research paper for company, ENGL
110, LLC. The company is interested in solving various issues in society, but they are in
need of concrete research to justify their endeavors. Thus, you and your partner need to
investigate a researchable issue in contemporary society (e.g., affordable health care,
domestic violence, climate change, etc.) and provide suggestions, grounded in facts, on
how to resolve the issue.
Criteria:
Your topic must be researchable. You should be able to find factual research (e.g.,
peer-reviewed journal articles, information on government (.gov) or education (.edu)
websites) regarding you topic. Do not pick a topic that is opinion based. Your
suggestions must be based on your research.
You must develop a research proposal. Once I approve the proposal, you and your
partner can begin your paper.
Make sure you interpret your results. Meaning, what conclusions could you draw
from your research. What suggestions could you make based on your research. I want
you to discuss your results. You can do this is in a discussion section.
Your paper should have labeled sections and it should be in MLA or APA Format,
Times New Roman Font, and approximately 5-10 pages. You can exceed the page limit,
but your paper should be a minimum of five pages. You must have 8-10 sources.
However, you can exceed this limit as well.
Guidance:
Please contact me if you have any problems, questions, or concerns.
See the course syllabus for office hours and contact information.

Schedule
This is a tentative schedule. The schedule is subject to change at instructors discretion.
Note: Please bring each Writing Practice to class on Due Date
Tuesdays
8/25 Intro to Course
Discuss Syllabus,
Requirements, &
Assignments
Prewriting & Invention
Process Lecture/Workshop

9/1 Rhetorical Situation

Writing Today Book
ch.3 (pg.22-30)
Writing Practice 2 Due

Thursdays
8/27 Genre
Writing Today Book
ch.1 (pg. 2-11)
pdf on Blackboard (see
Course Readings section)
Title: Journal of Henry
David Thoreau
Read Volumes 10-12
Writing Journal
Assignment Introduced
Writing Practice 1 Due
9/3 Style, Audience,
& Organization
Writing Today Book
ch.16 (348-357)

9/8 Style, Audience,

& Organization cont
5 pdfs from On Writing Well
Titles: Style, The
Audience, Unity, The Lead
and the Ending & A Writers
Decision

9/10 Topic, Angle, Purpose

Writing Today Book
ch.2 (pg. 12-20)
Evaluation Paper
Introduced
Writing Practice 3 Due

9/15 Trip to the Library

Writing Practice 4 Due

9/17 Evaluation & Format

Writing Today Book
ch.7 (pg. 107-125)
MLA Handbook
(well read in class)
Owl Purdue
(well go over other styles
in class)
9/24 Peer-Review of Evaluation
Papers
Bring Typed Draft to Class
Writing Practice 5 Due

9/22 Revision Process

Writing Today Book
ch.18 (pg.374-386)
We will read the Peer-Review
Section in class
9/29 Positioning Paper

10/1 Conferences (no class)

Writing Today Book

ch.11 (pg. 221-235)
We will read the examples in
class
Positioning Paper Introduced
Writing Practice 6 Due
10/6 Argumentation
Writing Today Book
ch.22 (pg. 424-437)
We will read the examples
in class
Evaluation Papers Due

10/8 Peer-review of Positioning

Paper
Bring Typed Draft to Class
In-formal Conferences
Writing Practice 7 Due

10/13 Fall Break (no class)

10/15 Research Writing

Writing Today Book
ch.24 (pg. 450-458)
Positioning Paper Due
Research Paper
Introduced
Writing Practice 8 Due

10/20 Proposals
Writing Today Book
ch.12 (pg. 248-272)
Research Proposals
Introduced
Writing Practice 9 Due

10/22 Collaborative Writing

Writing Today Book
ch.23 (pg. 439-442)

10/27 Organizing and Drafting

Writing Today Book
ch.15 (pg. 341-347)
Research Proposals Due

10/29 Annotated Bibliography

Workshop
Bring MLA Handout book
to class
Please check Blackboard,
I posted the groups and
their topics
Annotated Bibliography
Assignment Introduced
Writing Practice 10 Due

11/3 In-class work day

Meet @ Writing Lab

11/5 In-class work day

Meet @ Writing Lab

Writing Practice 11 Due

11/10 Creating a Portfolio
Writing Today Book
ch.30 (pg.550-561)
ePortfolio Assignment
Introduced
11/17 In-class work day
Bring Laptops and/or
other materials to
classroom
Writing Practice 13 Due
11/24 Presenting Your Work
Writing Today Book
ch.32 (pg.573-584)
Research Papers Due
Writing Practice 14 Due
12/1 Presentations
Writing Practice 15 Due

11/12 Peer-Review
Bring Typed Copy of
your drafts
Annotated Bibliography
Due
Writing Practice 12 Due
11/19 Conferences (no class)

11/26 Thanksgiving (no class)

12/3 Presentations
Class Potluck
ePortfolio including
revisions due
Writing Journal is Due